1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to panelboard assemblies and more particularly to an improved and more economical panelboard assembly and to a circuit breaker.
2. Summary of the Prior Art
In a typical panelboard assembly such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,105,173, 3,134,050 and 3,173,063, the bus bars are spaced from a U shaped sheet metal mounting pan and the back metal wall of the enclosure supporting the pan by a relatively large distance. Insulating materials usually formed of a thermosetting plastic requiring a relatively thick section are used to support the bus bars.
Circuit breakers, which connect the bus bars to the various circuits through a bus stab or branch connector extending from a respective bus bar, carry a metal mounting clip adjacent one end of the circuit breaker housing for supporting the circuit breaker on a longitudinally extending bead formed on each side leg of the mounting pan. The end of the circuit breaker opposite the mounting clip has a terminal for connection to a bus stab and a respective bus bar.
The spacing of the bus bars from the walls of the metal enclosure does not take advantage of the heat dissipation qualities of the metal enclosure, while the use of the metal mounting pan and spring clip on the circuit breaker to secure it to the mounting pan bead or rail adds to the cost.